HOW TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

When Paul and his companions were traveling on their missionary journeys they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. They tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they were guided to Troas where they were led by a vision to go to Macedonia. (Acts 16:6-10) If you seek to be led by the Spirit you are a beloved child of God.

As I look back on my life I am amazed at how I have been led from one stage of my life to another: from childhood to student days, from the South Pacific to England, from London to Massachusetts, from Jacksonville, Florida to San Antonio, Texas, and back again to Amelia Island. From callow youth, through immaturity, to slow growth in knowledge and competence, through mistakes and conflict, to finding love in marriage and patience in parenting, to management of time to administration of churches, from being mentored to mentoring others, from learning leadership to seeking vision, from being physically active and competitive to slowing down and aging.

How can you be led by the Spirit in your life’s journey? If you know that you are walking with Christ, and therefore going in the right direction, you can have confidence and assurance about the future. If you know that God is in front of you, leading the way every day, as you make decisions and seek guidance, you can feel secure and safe. If danger lurks all around you, and you fear the future as you attempt to navigate through the minefield of your present circumstances, but you believe that the Spirit of Christ is leading you, you will have the courage to continue on. Not to be led by the Spirit is to be without a chart or compass on your journey. Not to be led by the Spirit is to be lost.

The Christian believes that in this life we are on a journey, a pilgrimage, and that we are being led by God the Holy Spirit. Despite all the obstacles and trials on the journey, all the temptations to turn aside, or to quit the journey, we believe God is leading us on to the Promised Land. On the way we have much to learn about following the Spirit, about being willing to be led by the Spirit.

How does this take place? It is not a passive or negative description, such as being led astray, or being led by the nose. Neither is it being ‘forced’ or ‘driven.’ The Spirit does not drive the children of God. Instead the Spirit persuades us. He leads us by persuasion; not by brute force, not against our will. He persuades the will, which is a very different thing. What the Spirit does is to enlighten and persuade us so that we desire to follow God’s will in our lives. The Spirit puts a new principle, a new disposition into us, and then we desire the things of God.

Consider Isaiah 30:21: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” We hear and respond. That is how God guides – by his Word, by the persuasion of the Holy Scriptures.

To be ‘led by the Spirit’ means that our life is guided and determined and directed by the Holy Spirit. That is what makes a Christian a child of God. The natural man is neither guided by the Spirit nor led by the Spirit. He is guided by his own desires; he feels an urge to do something, and he indulges it. He is guided by his impulses, instincts, passions, by his peer group, by public opinion, by his family or friends, by all that his physical life in its separation from God desires. He might be guided by the mind of the world, the culture, the morés of the social group, as are those who do not think for themselves. They do what everyone else does. Some are led by their reason. But natural human reason is not enough. Human understanding is defective. The natural man does not see the subtleties of his situation. He is at best guided by reason and common sense; never anything higher than that. He is not led by the Spirit; he uses his own understanding, his will-power and his own determination.

The follower of Christ is in an entirely different position and category. He is not led by his own natural powers, but, ultimately, by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God may lead him partly through his reason and in other ways, but what is central about him is that he and his life seek to be governed by the leading, the direction, of the Holy Spirit of God. That does not mean for a moment that he is perfect. He is not perfect. But it can be said of him that the main and obvious tendency and direction of his life is that which is guided by the Holy Spirit.

How can we test what we believe is the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives? The truth which the Holy Spirit conveys to us is the truth which is written in the Spirit-inspired Scriptures. There are Christian leaders, preachers, pastors and theologians who claim to be led by the Spirit in accommodating nonbiblical teachings of the culture. They argue that the Spirit is leading them into new unorthodox teachings. But the Spirit leads us into Christ-like living through the teaching of the Bible. The Bible and the Spirit cannot contradict one another. “It is not lawful for the Church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s Word written, neither may it expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another.” (Article XX) The Holy Spirit leads us to a knowledge and understanding of the truth about Jesus Christ, His Person and His Work.

Can you say that your life, taken as a whole – your thought life, your feelings, your actions, your will, your attitude seeks to be under the direction of the Spirit of God? Can you say this: ‘With all my faults and failures, and all that is true of me, I can say that I want the directing force and principle in my life to be the Spirit of God?’ St. Paul states that if you can say that, you are a son or daughter of God. Is the main direction of your life following the leading of the Spirit of God? Is it your greatest desire that it should be? If it is, whatever else may be true of you, whatever your faults and failures, you are a ‘child of God.’

With that designation, being adopted into God’s family you have a similarity of mind and of outlook. You look at everything from God’s standpoint, from the aspect of eternity. God looks at you in a very special way, as his beloved sons and daughters. He takes a very special interest in you, in your well-being, in your welfare, in your good. He is interested in every one of you individually. You may not think that to be true from time to time when you are in trouble. Sometimes he may have to discipline you as a loving Father, so that you will learn and mature.

My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either.

It’s the child he loves that he disciplines, the child he embraces, he also corrects. (Prov.33:11,12)

Being led by the Spirit is a sign that we are children of God. Sometimes that leading involves being corrected in love. Experiencing correction can be painful. We are tempted to believe that God doesn’t love us. But correction has a purpose. We learn the errors of our ways. We learn what is good and what is not. We learn to follow God’s leading, and to do what is best. Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The Spirit can lead us to a deepening experience of the love of Christ.

If you feel that you are in a correction phase of life, because of some suffering you are experiencing; whether it be due to finances, or health, or relationships, then seek the leading of the Spirit, and be assured that your suffering proves that you are a beloved child of God. The trouble you’re in isn’t punishment. God is doing what is best for you, training you to live God’s holy best. Let the Spirit lead you safely through this minefield, to the other side. Then angels will come and minister to you.